A finance boss who worked from home tried to sue for unfair dismissal after being warned she would be sacked if she moved to France but did so anyway.

Iryna Malyk ignored her company Teleperformance Contact when given an ‘express instruction’ that she would lose her job if she moved outside the UK.

Her claim has been rejected at a tribunal held in Bristol, where she lived and worked.

She was told by her boss that it was not ‘financially viable’ for the company and that it would cause legal issues.

Ms Malyk was informed that she would have to resign if she moved to France but she ‘disagreed’ with this decision and moved there anyway.

The finance boss was fired after she continued working for the company after moving across the channel.

The tribunal heard she worked for Teleperformance Contact from May 2022 as a European regional finance business partner.

The firm provides outsourced visa services to governments including in the UK, France and Germany.

In her contract, her home and the address of the company were both in Bristol.

Ms Malyk’s ‘principal’ place of work was at home, but she was also required to travel into the office until it closed in September 2022.

In late 2023, a big contract in France was lost, which affected Teleperformance Contact’s operations there.

Ms Malyk’s husband got a new job in France in early 2024, so she booked a meeting with her line manager to discuss relocating there.

Michael Aouate told her she could not work from the country with a UK-based employment contract and there was not a position there available to her.

The tribunal was told: ‘In a follow-up call on June 26, Mr Aouate told [Ms Malyk] that she could not work on UK projects in France on a permanent basis because the laws are different and this would cause legal and tax issues.

‘He did not provide specific detail about the laws he was referring to.

‘Later on June 26, [Ms Malyk] emailed [Drussila Solomon, head of HR in the UK] saying that due to personal circumstances she was moving to France in July, and was planning to continue to work from home from there.

‘She said Mr Aouate had told her he wouldn’t be able to perform her duties from France as it would mean breach of certain law.’

Ms Malyk said that she believed her contract was ‘fully remote’, so she thought that she could ‘work from anywhere’.

Ms Solomon told her that she needed permission from her line manager to work in another country.

In July, Mr Aouate said that it was not ‘financially viable’ to employ her in France, and the business did not ‘offer the facility for employees to be able to work remotely outside the country they were employed from’.

He said that it was a ‘reasonable management instruction’ to require her to work in the UK.

Mr Aouate asked her to review her decision to move to France, but added that if she decided to go ahead with it, she needed to resign.

Ms Malyk said she ‘disagreed’ with the decision and claimed that the instruction to work in the UK was a change to her contract.

The tribunal heard: ‘She continued to work from France under her existing contract, and explained in evidence that it was a busy time coming up to month end and so she needed to continue with her duties.’

An investigation meeting was held at the end of July in which she said there was ‘nothing to investigate’ because she had moved to France and ‘was not hiding this’.

She was suspended in August and her line manager told the tribunal this was due to a risk the company would be pursued by French authorities for breaking the law.

Following a disciplinary hearing, Ms Malyk was sacked for ignoring the company’s ‘express instruction’ not to carry out her role from France.

The company did not find she had committed gross misconduct and her appeal against her sacking has been dismissed.

Employment Judge Hazel Oliver found the reason Ms Malyk was sacked was ‘not trivial’, as the firm believed it would not be complying with French law if she lived in the country permanently while working on a UK contract.

The judge said her contract ‘expressly states that [Ms Malyk] will work from her home in the UK’ and she ‘was insisting on working from France’.

She continued: ‘[Ms Malyk] argues that she had acted openly and did not believe there was gross misconduct, and says [Teleperformance Contact’s] actions were disproportionate.

‘I do not agree. The instruction was reasonable in the circumstances, and the disciplinary action was pursued because [Ms Malyk] was continuing to refuse to comply despite having been warned about the consequences.’

A woman has been arrested and a man is still being hunted in connection with the alleged murder bid.

A woman has been arrested after two cops were injured in an alleged hit and run. The incident took place on Glen Avenue in Larkhall, South Lanarkshire, at around 2pm on Saturday, July 25.

Emergency services, including Police Scotland and Scottish Ambulance Service, rushed to the scene after police received a report of two of their uniformed officers having been knocked down.

The force confirmed that the pair had been carrying out enquiries at a property in the area before a white Renault Traffic was “deliberately driven at them”. Both male officers, aged 41 and 43, were blue-lighted to hospital.

They suffered serious injuries. Both have since been discharged, although they will remain unfit for duty for a prolonged period.

Detectives investigating the attempted murder have now arrested a woman in connection with attempting to pervert the course of justice. The 34-year-old was arrested and charged on Friday, August 14.

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She is due to appear at Hamilton Sheriff court on Tuesday, August 18.

A man is still being hunted in connection with the incident, and extensive enquiries are ongoing to track him down. More than 80 properties have been searched throughout Lanarkshire and the Scottish Borders, a significant amount of CCTV footage has been trawled through and extensive door-door enquiries have been carried out which has allowed police to track this man’s movements since the date of the incident.

Images previously taken from the scene showed the injured cops lying on the tarmac after being rammed. In one photo, one officer appears to be lying motionless on his side with a member of the public attending to him, while his colleague tries to recover on his hands and knees.

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A massive police and ambulance presence later descended on the area. Both officers were seen being attended to by members of the force and paramedics. Police later recovered the van in Kirkstyle Place, Glassford.

Detective Inspector Alister Thom said “This act of violence left two police officers seriously injured and significant enquiries remain on going to trace the man responsible.

“We know he has been travelling throughout Lanarkshire, Glasgow and the Scottish Borders and know that he is being assisted by associates.

“If you know where he is, or have information which could assist us, I am urging you to do the right thing and contact us immediately in confidence.”

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Anyone with information is asked to call Police Scotland on 999, quoting incident number 1652 of 25 July, 2026, or speak to Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

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Many commercial flights may need to be rerouted or grounded to prevent passengers from being exposed to space radiation from solar flares.

Researchers at the Surrey Space Centre (SCC) recently found that the radiation exposure at typical flight altitudes of 5-9 miles could trigger faults in aircraft electronics, posing a risk to flight safety.

A major solar storm in November 2025 caused radiation levels to briefly rise to nearly 10 times normal flight conditions at high altitudes, according to measurements led by SCC.

The strongest ever solar storm on record, which happened in 1956, could have exposed passengers to the equivalent of a year’s worth of flight-related cosmic radiation.

As the atmosphere provides us with protection from the sun’s radiation, on commercial flights we are significantly more exposed than at ground level.

A frightening recent incident has also shown the potential problems caused by intense solar storms.

In October 2025, a JetBlue flight from Cancún to Newark had to make an emergency landing in Florida after a sudden drop in altitude, injuring 15 people.

Afterwards, Airbus temporarily grounded 6,000 A320 aircraft after discovering the plane had a vulnerability to ‘intense solar radiation’ in a flight control computer.

Dr Fan Lei, Senior Research Fellow at the SCC said: ‘The recent Airbus A320 grounding linked to cosmic radiation shows that space weather is not a theoretical risk; it is already affecting aviation.

‘As aircraft systems become more advanced and increasingly reliant on electronics, understanding and preparing for these events will be critical to maintaining flight safety.’

The study highlights how high-energy particles from space can interfere with onboard electronics, causing what is called Single Event Upsets (SEUs) – small errors that can accumulate and disrupt critical systems.

In many cases, these disruptions may present a greater operational challenge than radiation exposure to passengers and crew, by increasing pilot workload and the risk of in-flight problems.
In extreme scenarios, SEUs could increase from a few per hour to thousands.

The biggest risks are on polar flight routes, including those between London Heathrow and Vancouver International Airport in Canada, where the Earth’s magnetic shielding is weakest.

However, during severe geomagnetic storms, these effects can extend much further south, including over the UK.

The findings highlight a gap in current aviation safety frameworks, which mostly focus on routine radiation exposure without fully accounting for extreme space weather events.

To help the aviation sector respond more effectively, the research team has proposed a new atmospheric radiation scale.

Designed specifically for aviation, it provides clearer thresholds for when action should be taken. It proposes increased monitoring as well as rerouting or grounding flights during severe events.

‘At the moment, there is no consistent way for the aviation sector to assess and respond to extreme space weather risks,’ Professor Keith Ryden, leader of the Space Environment and Protection research team at the Surrey Space Centre added. ‘We’ve introduced a clearer, aviation-specific radiation scale to help support more informed decision-making in aviation, helping operators act quickly to protect passengers, crew and critical onboard systems.’

Such delays may leave passengers cursing if stuck at the airport – but a few hours in duty-free or an airport bar may well be preferable to the alternative – a terrifying incident like the one that occurred last October.

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Thousands gathered at the Great Yorkshire Showground in Harrogate on Saturday (August 15) for the first-ever Symphonic Ibiza – an outdoor show blending DJs, live vocalists, and a 40-piece orchestra.

It marked the first outdoor music concert at the venue since Sir Elton John performed there in 2012.

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Freddy White, founder of Yorkshire-based company Sound & White and lead promoter of Symphonic Ibiza, said: “If we could have bottled up the atmosphere from Saturday night, it would be worth its weight in gold.

“The energy from the crowd was extraordinary and the response and feedback we’ve received since has surpassed anything we could have hoped for.

“A huge amount of thanks must also go to the incredible Showground team and our other staff, crew, artists and suppliers working behind the scenes.

Symphonic Ibiza (Image: Provided)

“An event of this scale involves an enormous number of people and moving parts and the professionalism, hard work and good spirit shown by everyone involved is what made the evening feel as seamless and spectacular as it did.”

The night began with a DJ set from Love Island’s Alex Bowen, followed by Vernon Kay, who brought the energy of his BBC Radio 2 90s dance show to the stage.

The Symphonic Ibiza Orchestra was joined by headline vocalists Heather Small, Rebecca Ferguson MBE, and Alison Limerick.

Symphonic Ibiza (Image: Provided)

The event was a collaboration between Sound & White and the Great Yorkshire Events Centre – the showground’s commercial events venue.

Profits will support the Yorkshire Agricultural Society (YAS), which organises the Great Yorkshire Show and supports farming, food, and countryside causes year-round.

Graham Thompson, commercial director at the Great Yorkshire Events Centre, said: “What a night for Harrogate.

Symphonic Ibiza (Image: Provided)

“We are so proud to have hosted the first Symphonic Ibiza, which brought The Main Ring to life on Saturday evening with an incredible series of performances.

“This was an exciting new event for us to host, in an iconic setting and a terrific event for the community to enjoy.”

Earlier in the day, the Pavilions of Harrogate celebrated its 30th birthday with a special gathering before guests made their way to the concert.

Symphonic Ibiza (Image: Provided)

A portion of ticket sales will also benefit two local charities: the David Brown Foundation, which supports youth and education in Harrogate and Yorkshire, and the Harrogate Theatre Trust, which promotes arts and creative activity in the town.

The event was supported by several regional sponsors and businesses, including Masons of Yorkshire, Tap & Tuk Tuk on Cheltenham Parade, and Rhubarb Restaurant.

International Champagne house Pol Roger headlined the VIP experience.

A group of reckless youths have been filmed leaping 65ft off a cliff and into the water at Dead Man’s Cove in Plymouth, Devon. 

The youths were ‘tombstoning’, a dangerous craze where people hurl themselves in off a high structure or cliff into the water below.

Dead Man’s Cove has been a popular location for adrenaline junkies for many years with people even queuing to take part in the extreme activity.

Video footage showed the youngsters leaping off the edge of the notorious cliff before plummeting into the water just metres away from jagged rocks.

Several people have been severely injured tombstoning at the site and in October 2016, dad-of-three Vincent Wagstaff, 39, died after misjudging his jump.

Teenager Ben Thompson was also left paralysed when he leapt off the cliff in 2010.

James Preston, who was watching the youths risk their lives at the cove, said the perilous activity should not be allowed.

‘I have seen tombstoning at this location before, but this time seemed extra dangerous given it was not even high tide and the rocks below were clearly visible,’ he said.

A young person runs toward the edge of Dead Man’s Cove seconds before leaping off

An onlooker on a pontoon watches a person jumping off the wall in Dartmouth, Devon

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‘I stood there with other onlookers and we all cringed whilst the jumps were performed. This really shouldn’t be allowed to happen in my opinion.’

The 40-year-old from Plymouth, Devon, said that a simple misstep could have caused ‘an extremely serious injury’.

He continued: ‘Thankfully this was not the case but it feels like it is simply a matter of time if this going to happen again.

‘It was a beautiful sunny evening at the Plymouth Hoe but this certainly brought a nervy energy to the area. 

‘I am amazed that more measures have not been put into place to stop youths from doing this.’

The coastguard previously said that people should not ignore the dangerous risks tombstoning poses just because people spur them on.

‘It is infuriating because we know the consequences but they just say “you’re spoiling our fun”,’ they said.

‘Go to a proper diving thing if you want to dive off something into the water but going off here is absolutely ridiculous.

Young people pictured watching a young person leap into the water at Dead Man’s Cove 

Jack Dolan, 15,was left brain damaged after tombstoning off a seaside pier in Margate, Kent, in 2024

Jack (pictured before his injury) was left brain damaged after the accident – which should have killed him

‘As long as people queue up and watch them or clap them – I’ve seen people clapping them – they’ll continue to do it, just showing off to the girls, you know.

They added that if people who were crippled for life from tombstoning were there, people would not take part.

A Maritime and Coastguard Agency spokesperson said: ‘You don’t always know what you’re jumping into. Tombstoning from piers, cliffs, rocks or other structures into the sea can be extremely dangerous.

‘The depth of the water can dramatically change with the tide, and what was a deep pool at lunchtime might be a shallow puddle by teatime. 

‘Hidden hazards may be lurking beneath the surface, and you may not know they’re there until you’re hurt or worse.

‘Cold water shock may make it difficult to swim to safety, and strong currents can quickly sweep you away.’

Dead Man’s Cove is not the only location in the UK where people have tombstoned and been seriously injured.

Dunbar RNLI issued a stark warning about the dangers of tombstoning after a 14-year-old seriously injured his leg after jumping from a harbour on August 13. 

A lifeboat was launched to save the boy before he was pulled out of the water and taken to an ambulance.

In Margate, 15-year-old Jack Dolan was left severely brain damaged after tombstoning off a pier in 2024.

Despite making a remarkable recovery from the accident which left him braindead, Mr Dolan’s family claimed that Medway Council and Medway Community Healthcare in Kent left him in ‘bed to rot’.

His family then turned to private treatment, including specialist hyperbaric oxygen therapy, to help him recover further.

Jack’s step-father Dave Dolan previously said: ‘We want better care for Jack. We will go to Parliament. We want a change in his condition and how he is cared for.’

He added: ‘It’s heartbreaking. There’s nowhere near enough help.

‘It’s terrible. They’re not helping him enough. The community care team are leaving him to bed-rot.’

BEIRUT (AP) — Strikes launched by the U.S. and Saudi Arabia against Iran-allied fighters in Iraq have put Iraq’s government in a delicate position — and not for the first time.

Since the 2003 U.S.-led invasion, Iraq has walked a tightrope between Washington and Tehran, seeking to avoid becoming a battleground for rival powers. The balancing act has only grown more fraught since the U.S. and Israel went to war with Iran in February.

Saudi Arabia had accused Iraqi armed groups of using drones to attack its oil facilities. The retaliatory strikes in Iraq hit bases of the Popular Mobilization Forces, a collection of armed groups close to Iran that are officially part of Iraq’s security forces but often operate outside of state control. The groups have also attacked U.S. forces who are in Iraq at the invitation of the government.

The Iraqi government has given non-state armed groups until the end of September to disarm, but some of the most powerful — and the closest to Iran — have said they have no intention of doing so.

U.S. President Donald Trump has been effusive in his praise of Iraq’s new Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi, a political outsider and fellow businessman. But the Iraqi leader is likely to face mounting U.S. pressure to rein in the PMF, and confronting them directly could lead to internal unrest.

The Iran-backed groups have fought Islamic State extremists and the US

The PMF is a coalition of primarily Shiite, Iran-backed armed groups that joined in the fight against the Islamic State group after it seized large sections of Iraq in 2014. Some have roots in the Shiite insurgency that erupted after the 2003 invasion.

During the war against IS, the PMF were allies of convenience with a U.S.-led international coalition battling the Sunni extremists. In 2016, Iraq designated the PMF as an “independent military formation” within the armed forces, but many of the factions remain largely autonomous.

Lahib Higel, an expert at the International Crisis Group, an international think tank, said that despite officially reporting to the Iraqi military command, most of the PMF brigades “have kind of retained the same command structure as they had when they were their individual groups.”

Since the U.S. and Israel attacked Iran on Feb. 28, Iraqi militias have launched regular attacks on U.S. military bases and diplomatic facilities as well as other sites, including energy infrastructure.

Saudi Arabia blamed the Iraqi groups for drone attacks

Saudi Arabia blamed Iran-backed Iraqi militias for launching drone attacks on Monday and Tuesday, some of which targeted petroleum facilities.

The Iraqi armed groups have denied any role in the attacks. The Islamic Resistance in Iraq, an umbrella group of Iran-backed armed factions, described the Saudi claims as “fabrications” and an “attempt to justify their inability to respond to the painful Yemeni strikes that have targeted the heart of their infrastructure.”

It implied that the attacks were carried out by Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels, who had themselves claimed to have attacked Saudi oil facilities.

Iraq’s National Security Council condemned the U.S.-Saudi strikes, saying they had killed and injured “a number of innocent people” and undermined the Iraqi state. It said the strikes came while the Iraqi government was actively investigating and trying to address the Saudi and American concerns. It said Iraq remains committed to ensuring the withdrawal of U.S. forces and consolidating arms under state control.

But Iraq faces a similar dilemma to Lebanon, where another U.S.-backed government is under mounting pressure to disarm the Iran-backed Hezbollah. If they move too aggressively, it could spark fighting in countries with bitter histories of civil conflict. If they move too slowly, they risk U.S. anger — and in Lebanon’s case, a prolonged Israeli occupation.

Iraq’s predicament is in some ways easier, as some of the PMF factions could be integrated into the armed forces and brought fully under the military’s command. But others, like the powerful Kataib Hezbollah — which is especially close to Iran — have refused.

“Everyone knows that this is a process that is going to take months if not years,” Higel said of the disarmament effort. “And you only have a handful that have agreed to it, while those that are the sort of self-described resistance groups have rejected it.”

As long as the U.S.-Iran war continues, she said, it’s unlikely that the holdouts will yield. They “view themselves as a part of Iran’s regional network. And this is their moment to fight.”

Track hero Amy Hunt says she intends to ‘hibernate for eight weeks’ to celebrate her four gold medals at the European Championships in Birmingham.

But first Hunt, who once described herself as a ‘track goddess’, is getting straight back to work this week as she has a few weeks left of the Diamond League season.

The 24-year-old Cambridge University graduate toasted her haul with a glass of champagne on Sunday night alongside her coach Marco Airale. 

Hunt claimed the 100m and 200m golds before being part of winning teams in the women’s and mixed 4x100m relays. 

She told Sky Sports News: ‘It’s important to celebrate the wins when they happen and live in the moment. You don’t win four golds often. I had a little glass of champagne with my coach last night. It’s straight back to work at the end of the week.

‘It’s been euphoric. I’ve been living in dreamland this whole week, especially at home with great crowd support. I have such a pride in competing for Great Britain on a Great British stage. We really put the great in Great Britain.

The self-proclaimed ‘track goddess’ won four gold medals at the European Championships 

‘I thought there was a chance. Any time you line up at a race, you have to believe you’ll win no matter what. It’s a very dog eat dog world so you have to have that confidence on the start line. I was lucky I got to cap off the relays with incredible people.’

‘We were the sprint nation at this Championships. We cleaned up nearly every medal at the sprints. We’re just so competitive and want it so badly. We hold our weight ona  global stage – we go toe-to-toe with the Americans. It’s great to see that programme come together. 

‘If you heard our coahces’ team speeches, you’d want to go to war for them too. Our instructions for the relay were to go out there and break their hearts! It definitely fires you up and makes you ready to go.’

She added: ‘My way of switching off is spending time with my family. I’m so lucky that I train out of Italy in Padova but I don’t get to see my family too often. 

‘Relaxing is spending time at home with my dog and sister, who just qualified as a nurse two days ago. I’ve got a few holidays booked. We’ve got a month left on the Diamond League Circuit – I’ve got the World Ultimate Championships in Budapest at the end of September. 

‘My coach gives us eight weeks off – he’s very benevolent. I have eight weeks of hibernation!’ 

Hunt picked up gold alongside Dina Asher-Smith, one of her heroes, in the women’s 4x 100m relay. 

Thanks to that triumph, Asher-Smith became the joint-most successful athlete in European Championships history. She has seven golds, two silvers, and a bronze. 

Hunt, 24, said she ‘wanted it all’ at the start of the week – and she is going home with it!  

Hunt added: ‘Creating history together as two young women on a global stage is incredible. Who gets to do that? 

‘Dina is someone who I’ve looked up to my whole career. Not just the way she’s amazingly quick and a world champion, but the way she handles herself and she was one of the first women to do a very academic degree and chase that life off the track and still be fabulous on the track. She’s a role model. 

‘To help her become a big part of history is amazing.’

On now being a role model herself, she added: ‘It’s crazy to me. I’ve been helped along my way by so many successful and amazing and gorgeous and fast women so to be in the same conversations is amazing. 

‘You can be soft and be strong, you can be great on the track and in the classroom, be a mother and have a successful career, have everything you’ve ever dreamed of. 

‘There’s no world where you need to put limits on yourself. Anything you set your mind to you can achieve.’

The Cambridge University graduate’s bubbly personality has endeared her to fans and brands alike, with sponsors reportedly queueing up to join forces with the ‘relatable’ star.

Her Instagram page, followed by 142,000 people, showcases her love of culture and literature as well as her exploits on the track, which have hit new heights since her breakthrough World Championship 200m gold in Tokyo last year.

She was not shy when broadcasting her aim to become the fastest woman in Europe, channelling her love of High School Musical when stating ‘I want it all’ at the start of the week.

The Newark athlete, who went to the same school in Grantham as Margaret Thatcher, has only bolstered her reputation with her feats.

Three of the five teenage boys killed in a head-on crash have been pictured for the first time after police revealed gangs of youths have been ‘trying to outdo each other’ online.

The youngsters were travelling southbound on the northbound carriageway of the M9 motorway in County Kildare yesterday morning when they smashed into another vehicle.

The collision left four others, including a seven-year-old child, seriously injured.

Kamil Pustowski, Joe Carthy, Jeremy O’Brien, Alex McCarthy and Jack Kennedy, who are believed to be aged between 14 and 16, allegedly stole the BMW they were travelling in.

Gardai are attempting to verify whether the boys, who were reportedly wearing balaclavas or masks, are part of the ‘Lucky Dip’ burglary and car theft gang in Dublin. 

Post-mortem examinations will soon be carried out to establish a cause of death.

Three women, two in their 30s and one in her 20s, and a seven-year-old child were rushed to hospital, where they remain in serious or critical condition. 

They are understood to be members of the same family and were travelling in a Hyundai towards Dublin Airport when their car was struck near junction three at around 3am. 

Joey Carthy also died in the crash on the M9 motorway

Jeremy O’Brien was one of five teenagers to lose his life in the collision 

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The five teenage boys were driving southbound on the northbound carriageway of the M9 motorway in County Kildare and crashed into another vehicle near junction three

The Garda Representative Association (GRA) said its members were ‘all in shock’ after the ‘horrific incident’. 

GRA vice-president John Joe O’Connell said: ‘This involved a stolen BMW that drove – trying to evade gardaí – drove the wrong way down the M9 and then a head-on collision occurred with this car of a family heading to Dublin Airport on holidays for a few days.’

Mr O’Connell explained the BMW had earlier failed to stop for gardaí and that it was his understanding that an instruction was given not to pursue the vehicle as it travelled the wrong way down the M9.

Asked if this was standard procedure, he told RTÉ’s Morning Ireland radio programme: ‘It would be standard practice, and the command and control centre would be dictating what happens in a live environment – but the members in the cars have to make a split-second decision.’

Mr O’Connell said there were ‘numerous gangs’ of boys and young men ‘trying to outdo each other’ in social media videos depicting interactions with Gardaí, pursuits and wrong-way driving.

‘Our members are not going to follow down that route – we’re damned if you do and damned if you don’t, that way,’ he said. 

The Kildare-based representative said the GRA did not ‘know what the exact answer is’ to address the problem, but added: ‘There’s not one member of An Garda Síochána trained in pursuit – never mind in dealing with cars going down the wrong way.’

Mr O’Connell said gardaí also face internal sanctions, discipline and possible criminal offences when they decide to chase in pursuits. He said garda cars have also been rammed by stolen vehicles.

Police said a car was travelling on the M9 in the wrong direction in Co Kildare before it smashed into another vehicle at junction 3 at around 3am on Sunday. Pictured: The scene on the M9 northbound

A forensic collision examination will take place while police investigate the circumstances of the head-on crash

Mr O’Connell said there was a need to ‘look at the sentences’ when these cases come before the courts, as he criticised those partaking in wrong-way driving as ‘playing Russian roulette with their lives and everyone else’s lives’.

He urged parents to talk to their sons about the potential consequences of getting into a stolen car ‘for the craic and the clicks’.

Friends and family have paid tribute to the five dead teenagers, who were described as ‘angels’. 

In a social media post, a cousin of Joe Carthy and Alex McCarthy said: ‘Rest in peace to my two cousins Alex and Joey. 

‘May you get a best bed in heaven, watch over your mother and father and brothers and sisters at this hard time. Left away to soon.’

In a separate post, she added: ‘God give your family the strength to get through this difficult time.’ 

Sharing pictures of Carthy wearing a balaclava, another cousin said: ‘Never in a million years would I ever (have) thought it would come to this Joe. 

‘The thought of us never seeing you again. No matter where you were, you always put a smile on anyone’s face. Forever 15, my cousin.’ 

Meanwhile, a family friend said of Carthy: ‘Only a baby with his whole life ahead of him, most mannered little boy you were Joey.

‘Too good for this big cruel world, watch over my James he’s heartbroken over you. Your poor father and mother, Joey. 

‘Please God give them this strength to get through this. Rest easy champ.’

A friend of Kamil Pustowski wrote: ‘My heart is broken, you’re gonna be missed so much by everyone.  Rest in paradise, God is going to give you the best bed up there.’

A cousin of Jeremy O’Brien said: ‘RIP to my cousin. (He) was like a brother. (May) God give you the bed in heaven, you’ll be missed.’ 

Garda Commissioner Justin Kelly has described the head-on collision between junctions 3 and 4 as ‘horrific’ and warned that ‘in some cases’ vehicles are being driven on the wrong side of motorways for social media likes.

The previous weekend, nine people were injured in a head-on collision on the M50 in Dublin with a car travelling in the wrong direction on the motorway.

Downing Street declined to say “at this stage” whether Andy Burnham was considering an inquiry into Arday’s death, reiterating that it was “a moment for reflection”, and that it was right for “the usual processes” like an inquest, to conclude.

Sir James Cleverly said he was angry with the what happened to Arday, and the university establishment – not just Cambridge – should have “done the robust due diligence and checking that should happen with any senior academic appointment”.

Speaking to the BBC’s Today programme on Monday, the shadow housing secretary said he felt Arday was used as “bragging rights by some universities”, and that people spoke of his “age and his ethnicity rather than his talent”.

“I think it was part of the reason that he was lifted so high so quickly and then when the scrutiny did come – external to the universities – his reputation had so far to fall. I think it was unfair on him and I think it’s been a terrible, terrible situation.”

Sir James – who was Britain’s first black home secretary and foreign secretary – said much of the coverage surrounding Arday was “quite possibly” motivated by racism, but that the questions over plagiarism were legitimate, regardless of motivation.

Meanwhile, when housing minister Matthew Pennycook, was questioned over whether the press behaved poorly, he echoed comments by the prime minister that it was not the time to “rush to judgement on this”.

“I do think the events leading up to his death raised questions about duty of care and the nature of modern media scrutiny, but I don’t think the time is now to get into a debate about those, I certainly don’t intend to sit here and opine on them myself,” he said.

Pennycook added that it was a time to reflect and “think compassionately about how we got to this situation, which is a desperately, desperately sad one”.

The row first erupted after another academic – self-defined “race realist” Nathan Cofnas, who was sacked from his Cambridge role in 2024 – said he found numerous instances of plagiarism in the professor’s work.

Cofnas’s post had been terminated amid a backlash to his view that under a true meritocracy black people would “disappear from almost all high-profile positions outside of sports and entertainment”.

Cambridge had celebrated Arday’s appointment as a young black professor, one of a tiny and visible minority in academia. Only 1% of professors in UK universities are black, making each appointment hugely significant.

A vigil organised by the group Stand Up To Racism is set to take place on Monday evening in Trafalgar Square.

On Sunday, more than 200 people attended a vigil at Cambridge that was organised by Arday’s postdoctoral students.